Automatic fare-collecting apparatus for street-cars or other public vehicles.



I No. 699.895. Patented May l3, I902.

I PERLHEFTER.

AIUTOMATIGFARE COLLECTING APPARATUS FOR STREET ours on OTHER.

PUBLIC VEHICLES.

(Application filed July 18, 1900.)

I 2 Sheets-Sheet (No Model.)

Patented Mgy l3, I902.

' L. PERLHEFTER. AUTOMATIC FARE COLLECTING APPARATUS FOR STREET CARS OR OTHER PUBLIG'VEHIGLES. (Application filad' fuiy 1s, 1900.

-2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

Invqntqr.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LUDWIG PERLHEFTER, OF VIENNA, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

AUTOMATIC-FARE-COLLECTING APPARATUS R STREET-CARS OR OTHER PUBLIC vEmcLEs.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Ifatent No. 699,895, dated May 13, 1902.

' Application filed July 18,1900. ,sriainaaaoso. (No model.)

To all whom; it may concern: 9

Be it known that I, LUDVVIG PERLHEFTER,

asubject of'the'Emperor of Austria-Hungary,

and a resident of Vienna, Austria-'I-Iungary,v have invented. certain new and useful Im-Z provements in Automatic Fare-Collecting Apparatus for Street-Cars or' other Public Vehicles, of which the following is a specificalilOIl. r i

10 The object of the invention is to dispense with the personnel Ordinarily necessitated for sale of tickets, collection of fare, and general oversight and control; and it consists in such an arrangement of turnstiles and coin-con- I 5 trolled apparatus that while a passenger is allowed free admittance to the car he is barred from leaving it until=his:fare has been personally deposited in a receiver or automatic cashier.

an arrangement of three or more independent turnstiles of any suitableconstructionin details so disposed that the stileat the board-.

ing-point is revoluble only in one determined 2 5 direction to admit the passenger and'that in order to pass out heis obliged to go through a coin-controlled turnstile and finally to leave" the car through a third turnstile turning also in one definite direction topermitoutgoing, but bar incoming.

Figure 1 represents in top plan view and diagrammatically apparatus constructed, arranged, and combined according to my invention.

show coin-controlled apparatus for. locking and releasing said turnstile. Fig. 3 is a fragmental view in horizontal section on lines 3 3 of Fig. 2 on the same scale as the latter fig- 4o nre, the lower coin-hopper being "removed; Fig. 4, a vertical section, partly broken away, on line 4: 4 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 5, a detail.

Referring to said drawings, it'willbe seen that to provide for the" exigencies of traveling in both directions where entrance and More particularly, the invention consistsin Fig. 2 is a vertical central section 35 through the central turnstile,enlarged,to

Assuming that the direction in which the car is traveling is represented by the heavy arrow 1, the'passenger entering and departing follows the path indicated by the heavy arrows 2-that is, he enters at thelturnstile'A,

passes through the'usual sliding door into a compartment I-I, representing for the time the rear half of the closed car and divided ofi from the front compartment H by partitions h and central turnstile O, carrying an automatic cashier g, which releases the stile upon the deposit of a suitable coin therein. All of the turnstiles are composed of crossed arms a, rotating about a central vertical standard I), and all of the platform-turnstiles have ratchets c c and pawls d d to control the direction in which they move, the only difference in this respect being that'whereas the ratchets c and pawls d of the entrance- 7o turnstiles are so set as to permit inward revolution onlythe ratchets c and pawls d of the exit-stiles are so disposed as to bar entrance, but permit exit; Guards 6 are arranged in ting thepawl and ratchet and in having a coin-controlled step-by-step movement which permits the passage of but one person at a time for each coin deposited. This automatic control apparatus or: cashier forms in itself no part of the'p'resent invention; but for a full understanding of the mode of operation of'my improved apparatus I will proceed to describe coin-controlled devices adapted to coac t therewith in'contributingto the result sought.

The head 0 of the turnstile G is rotatably mounted upon the hollow standard I) by means of a rabbeted bearing-joint band screws f, taking into a circumferential groove f inthe standard. To the upper part of the standard opposite this joint is rigidly secured a bridgeplate K, from which rises a spindle K, sup- 5 porting at its upper end a coin-hopper K immediately beneath the coin-slot k'centrally through the cap of the turnstile. Upon this spindle beneath the coin-hopper is mounted a, hub L, having four arms Z, to which are rigidly secured the inner ends of the four turnstile-levers a, which sustain the hub at a definite height on the spindle by being passed through close-fitting apertures a, in the sides of the turnstile-head. From each of the hub-arms depends a finger Z Z &c., reaching into close proximity with the bridgeplate, and all four being concentric with the spindle, so as to follow exactly the samepath as-the hub turns therearound. Substantially radial to the spindle and moving in a keeper m, secured to the bridge-plate, is a bar M, normally pushed inward by spring m to project its beveled inner end m into the path of the depending fingers Z Z &c,., hereinafter termed the stop-fingers, so that it may be struck thereby and pushed back like a springbolt door-latch. The heel end of this bar is bent at right anglesIto form a jaw m for a purpose that will immediately appear. In

rear of the bar M is a second bar N or stopbar, sliding in a guide in the same keeper, parallel with and at its inner end held up against the inner end of said bar M or latchbar by an abutment n, which resists the lateral thrust of the stop-fingers. This stop-bar N, like the latch-bar, is normally pressed inward by a spring a, which brings its inner fiat end a nearly or quite flush with the extreme inner end of the beveled latch-bar. At its outer end the stop-bar is also bent at right angles to form a jaw n parallel with jaw m but just sufliciently removed therefrom to admit the appropriate coin for the fare fiatwise between the two jaws. The chute k of the coin-hopper K terminates just above the path of movement of the hub-arms I, so as not to interfere with their action, and immediately beneath that path is a second hopper 0, receiving therefrom, and the chute 0' of which is directed to the opening between the jaws m to deliver the coin flatwise therebetween. Now supposing that itis attempted to revolve the turnstile forward when there is no coin between the jaws the stop-finger l, which has been until this moment resting against the base of the bevel m will be forced thereagainst and push the latch-bar back against the force of its spring, as indicated in Fig. 5; but there being at the time no connection between the latch-bar and the stopbar the latter will not be operated, but will still block the path of the finger, while jaw m will approach jaw 91 As soon, however, as the attempt to turn the stile is relinquished, the latch-bar will be forced forward by its spring and the bevel m will force the finger I back, and with it the entire revoluble part of the stile, until the space between the coinjaws m n is again normal. If, on the other hand, it is attempted to revolve the turnstile backward, the stopfinger Z that has last passed will come against the rear side of the stop-bar and be blocked thereby; but if a suitable coin has been deposited it will fall through the two hoppers and their chutes until it finally rests fiatwise and snugly upon the bridge-plate and between the coin-jaws. Then if the turnstile is pushed forward, forcing the latch-bar outward, the jaw m cannot approach jaw n owing to the presence of the coin between them. Therefore stop-bar N is forced to accompany the latch-bar in its outward journey until finally stop-finger Z rides off the crest of the bevel m and upon the fiat terminal face a of'the stop-bar, holding the latter momentarily back while the latch-bar, released, flies forward and closes behind said finger. This forward movement opens the coin-jaws, and the coin, which has been brought by said outward movement over an opening 19 through the bridge-plate, drops therethrough and into a receptacle P in the hollow standard, whence it can be removed when the collector comes around by means of drawer P or other suitable agency.

After entering compartment H the passenger may remain there until ready to get off the car, provided there is no exit-turnstile on the platform behind him or that such exitturnstile has been locked for the trip, as it will be in practice, or he may enter compartment H by payment of his fare. As this is the first step toward getting off, it will be assumed that he remains in compartment H to his journeys end, then deposits a suitable coin for payment of his fare in the automatic cashier, thereby releasing turnstile O and allowing it to swing one step, or, say, ninety degrees, and permit him to pass, traverse compartment H, and depart through turnstile B, which opens outwardly on the same side of the car that he entered; but if the car is going in the direction indicated by the dotted arrow 1 the passenger will enter through turnstile A and follow the route indicated by dotted arrows 2, through compartment H, coin-controlled turnstile C, compartment H, to turnstile B, where he quits the car.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination in a vehicle of means for permitting entrance but barring exit, means for permitting exit but barring entrance, a passage between the two, and coin-controlled step-by-step mechanism blocking said passage except upon the deposit of a suitable coin,

2. The combination, in a vehicle, of a turn-' stile permitting entrance and barring exit, a turnstile permitting exit and barring en-' trance, and an intermediate coin-controlled turnstile barring passage between the other two except when released upon the deposit of a suitable coin.

3. The combination, in a vehicle having end platforms, of two turn stiles on each platform, one barring exit and permitting entrance, and the other barring entrance and permitting exit, the corresponding turnstiles for each platform being arranged diagonally opposite each other, and an intermediate coin-controlled turnstile placed between the platforms and blocking the only passage from the entrance-turnstiles to their relative exit-stiles.

t. The combination of the entrance-turntoo stile at one end of the car or vehicle, arranged In testimony whereof I affix my signature to bar exit, the exit-turnstile at the other end in presence of two Witnesses. of the car or vehicle, arranged to bar ontrance,the partition dividingthe carinto front 5 and rear compartments, and the eoin-con- Witnesses:

trolledturnstileblockingthe passagebetween ALVESTO S. HOGUE, these compartments. AUGUSTYFUGGER.

LUDWIG PERLHEFTER. 

